Introduction to Storm Surge

Hurricane Katrina (2005) – Mississippi

1200 deaths, $108 billion damage
Hurricane Sandy (2012) – Northeast U.S.
73 deaths, $65 billion damage
Hurricane Ike (2008) - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
20 deaths, $29.5 billion
 Unit Outline

• Introduction to Storm Surge

• Who is vulnerable?
• What is Storm Surge?
• Factors affecting Storm Surge

• Measuring Storm Surge

Ike’s track
House of David and Kimberly King
Waveland, Mississippi
 Vulnerability
• Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm
surge
• Rising sea-level provides a higher “base” for future
surge/inundation events thus producing an increasing threat to:
• Coastal communities
• Ecosystems (wetlands, critical species, habitat loss, etc)
• Transportation systems (highway systems, ports, rail)
• Economic viability (tourism, transport of goods, natural resources)
• Energy
 Gulf Coast

Biloxi, Mississippi Key West, Florida

Katrina (2005) Georges (1998)

Laffite, Louisiana Galveston, Texas

Rita (2005) Ike (2008)
 Southeast

Pawley’s Island, South Carolina

Rodanthe, North Carolina Hugo (1989)
Isabel (2003)

Jacksonville, Florida North Hutchinson Island, Florida

Fay (2008) (Jeanne 2004)
 Mid-Atlantic

Hampton, Virginia
Baltimore, Maryland Isabel (2003)
Isabel (2003)

Mantoloking, New Jersey Staten Island, New York

Sandy (2012) (Sandy 2012)
 New England

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Westport, Massachusetts

Carol (1954) Irene (2011)

Providence, Rhode Island East Haven, Connecticut

1938 Hurricane Sandy (2012)
 What is Storm Surge?

STORM SURGE is an abnormal rise of water generated by

a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical
tide.

STORM TIDE is the water level rise during a storm due to

the combination of storm surge and the astronomical
tide
Storm Surge from Hurricane Irene
Rumley Marsh on the Pamlico River in North Carolina
Low Water from Hurricane Irene
Pamlico Sound at Cape Hatteras, NC
Storm Surge from Tropical Storm Debby
Bayshore Blvd., Tampa, FL
Storm Surge from Hurricane Isaac
Pontchartrain Drive, Slidell, LA
Typhoon Haiyan
The Philippines
 What about Waves?

• Breaking waves also contribute to the total water

level through wave runup/setup
• WAVE RUNUP is the time-varying fluctuation of
water-level elevation at the shoreline due to wave
breaking
• WAVE SETUP is the time-averaged water level rise
due to wave breaking
• The magnitude of both runup and setup are related
to offshore wave period, wave height, and shelf
slope
Wave Runup
Wave Setup
 Galveston
Day before Ike arrived
 Freshwater Input

• River input, esp. into bays and sounds

• Mississippi River discharges 200,000 – 700,000 cubic feet per
second
• Rainfall
 Total Water

Total Water

Total water level =

Storm surge +
Tides +
Wave setup +
Freshwater
 No More Surge in the
Saffir-Simpson Scale!
(it fits like a square peg in a round hole)

KATRINA (3)
IKE (2)

SANDY (1)
ISAAC (1)

CHARLEY (4)
 No Such Thing as
“Just a Tropical Storm”

Louisiana State Rd. 23 near Myrtle Grove

Tropical Storm Lee (2011)
 Deep Water

Wind Wind
A B C

Eye A B C
0’ MSL
5O’ Current
100’
150’
200’

a. Top view of Sea Surface b. Side view of Cross Section “ABC”

 Landfall

Wind Wind
A B C
STORM SURGE
Eye
0’ MSL
A 50’ B Current C
100’
150’
200’

Mainland Barrier
Continental Shelf
Island

a. Top view of sea surface and land b. Side view of Cross Section “ABC”
Understanding Surge
 Factors Affecting
Storm Surge

• Central Pressure
• Intensity (wind speed)
• Forward Speed
• Size
– Radius of Maximum Winds (RMW)
• Angle of Approach
• Width and Slope of Shelf
• Local features – concavity of coastlines, bays,
rivers, headlands, or islands
Effects of Low Pressure
Intensity (Wind Speed)
15 mph stronger
Forward Speed
(Open Coast)
25
5 mph
 Size
(Radius of Max Winds)
Angle of Approach
NNW
NW Motion
Motion
Width and Slope of Shelf

Wide shelf/
gentle slope

Narrow shelf/
sharp slope
Start of shelf trapped wave
up the Florida Coast
 Observing and Measuring
Storm Surge
– Tide stations (NOAA)
• Still water
• Traditionally most reliable
• Limited stations
• Stations often fail at height of event
– High water marks (FEMA/USGS)
• Perishable
• Traditionally best method for capturing
highest surge
• Subjective and often include impacts of
wave runup/setup
– Pressure Sensors (USGS)
• Relatively new method
• Deployed in advance of storm at
expected location of highest surge
• Can contain effects of waves
 High Water Mark
Hoboken, New Jersey (Sandy)
Questions/Comments?